Tomic through to second round in style

Guy Hand

More like Tomic the Spank Engine, as Bernard Tomic gave Argentine Leonardo Mayer a straight sets beating to kick off his Australian Open campaign on Tuesday night.

Tomic took the stick to the world No.72 in a 6-3 6-2 6-3 hammering in just over an hour and a half, moving him around court with deft shot placement and all aspects of his game firing.

It continues the 20-year-old's superb Australian summer after he won his maiden tour title in Sydney last week, and further builds his imposing record on home soil.

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After his indifferent 2012 form led him to be unkindly dubbed Tomic the Tank Engine, and a Davis Cup ban from captain Pat Rafter, the Queenslander admits he is enjoying playing the irresistible tennis he is producing since upping his commitment to both his physical fitness and mental game.

"I love getting out on court and feeling like this and winning. It's amazing to feel like this," Tomic said.

"You do the hard work and do the right things, you improve.

"Off the court and on the court, I've changed so much. It has made me a better person and a better player."

Tomic will play German qualifier Daniel Brands in the second round on Thursday, with a likely third round match-up against four-time Australian Open winner Roger Federer should he win there.

And going on what Tomic showed on Rod Laver Arena, world no.120 Brands should hold few fears - though the Australian says he's wary of a player he knows little about.

Mayer, already nursing a burnt hand from a fireworks accident, copped a few more welts as Tomic had his A-game going from the start.

A service break midway through the first set allowed Tomic to blow through it in 26 minutes, before again taking less than half an hour to seal the second set.

Mayer offered slightly more resistance in the third before Tomic broke in the seventh game.

Then he closed it out with a minimum of fuss to become just the third Australian to advance to the tournament's second round.